This is the open cluster Trumpler 16, located about 7,500 light-years away. It drifts through the cosmos within the Carina Nebula in the constellation by the same name.
The two most notable stars in the open cluster are WR 25 and Tr16-224. The brightest star is WR 25; it is located almost on frame center (maybe slightly to the right). Visually, it is a little bigger and aldo the whiter of the two large stars. Tr16-224 is technically the third brightest star in the cluster, mostly due to its low mass. However, this star is located significantly closer to Earth than the rest of the nebula.
The entire cluster is located within a region of the Carina Nebula known as the Bubble. The Bubble is a hollowed out region of the nebula that was carved by the solar winds of these hot young stars.
Share This Article